|
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE AFTER DEATH
Mike Corro
- A CHILD IS BORN TO LIVE A LIFE ON EARTH.
- THE CHILD GROWS UP TO BE WHAT IT HAS CHOSEN TO BECOME – A WINNER OR A LOOSER, A SUCCESS OR A FAILURE, A SAINT OR A SINNER.
- HE/SHE HAS THE OPTION OF BELIEVING IN THE ONE TRUE GOD, IN FALSE GODS OR NONE AT ALL.
- ULTIMATELY, DEATH COMES TO ALL; WINNERS AND LOSERS ALIKE, AT THE APPOINTED TIME.
I. AS DEATH IS BOUND TO HAPPEN ANY TIME AND THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD*, WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN CONCEPT OF LIFE AFTER DEATH? (*John 14:6; Exod. 20:3-5; Matt 4:10; Isaiah 44:6; Eph 4:6)
1. Judgment takes place immediately.
Heb 9:27-28Just as man is destined to die once, andafter that to face judgment...
God’s judgment on you is simply a question of whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not.
John 3:18 Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe (in Jesus) stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. NIV (see Mark 16:16; 1 John 5:12; John 3:36; John 5:24; John 8:31-39)
Believing in Jesus Christ is done while a person is alive on earth and not when he is dead. Eternal life with God starts the moment you believe in Jesus and not after you die. So believe in Jesus now while you are alive!
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. NIV
John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. NIV
John 6:40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." NIV
You are sent to Heaven or Hell without delay as a result of the judgment – the righteous (the Believers) to Heaven and the wicked (unbelievers) to Hell. The Bible reveals who are considered righteous* by God. (*see Gal 3:11; Rom 1:17, 4:13, 5:19, 9:30, 10:4; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9)
Rom 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
Matt 13:49-50 The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (cf. Mat 22:13; Matt 25:41; Matt 13:41-42; Luke 13:27-28; Matt 24:51)
2. Nothing can be done on earth for you by your loved ones and friends to help you or reduce yourpunishment if you are sent to Hell for eternity. (No amount of sacrifices, works, money, prayers, etc. can help.)
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power... NIV (See Luke 6:19-31)
3. You stay forever in Hell if you are sent there. There is no way out, “Abandon Hope All Ye That Enter Hell’s Gate”*. (* Dante’s Inferno)
Matt 18:7-9 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. NIV
II. SINCE JUDGMENT OCCURS AT ONCE AFTER DEATH, HOW CAN I BE SURE OF GOING TO HEAVEN?
1. Sincerely ask Godright now to have mercy on you and to forgive you of your sins. Today is the day of salvation, do not wait for tomorrow, it may never come...
2. Repent from your sins – turn away, forsake, let go of your sin(s) and turn towards God.
3. Avail of God’s grace [unmerited favor] right now and receive His gift of Salvation by having FAITH [believing and trusting] in JESUS CHRIST. (Eph 2:8-9For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. NIV)
4. Receive Jesus in your heart and life, and boldly declare that He is Lord of your Life. (John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. /Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.NIV)
III. IS OBTAINING MY SALVATION AND ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN THIS EASY?
Yes, it is that simple because God loves you so much, more that you can ever imagine. He gave his only Son, Jesus, to suffer and die on the Cross in Calvary to pay for your sins. His suffering and death on the cross was the once-and-for-all sacrifice required by God for the atonement [payment; compensation] of our sins. Before Jesus died on the Cross in Calvary, He said, “It is finished…” It was a FINISHED-DONE-DEAL that God the Father accepted as payment for our sins (Heb 7:27-28, 9:12, 28; 10:10, 14, 18).Thus, no more sacrifice is required by God to pay for our sins. (You must read Hebrews’ Chapters 7 to 10.)
Heb 7:24-25 “...because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” NIV
IV. AREWORKS REQUIRED TOGETHER WITH FAITH TO SAVE ME?
Yes, works is indeed required by God but not for your salvation. Salvation is a gift that comes through God’s grace; a gift cannot be earned but simply received freely. If God required works to save you then Christ’s death was unnecessary. (Rom 6:23, Eph 2:8; Gal 2:21)
Rom 4:2-8 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about-but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." NIV
Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. NIV
V. WHY DOES GOD REQUIRE WORKS THEN IF IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR SALVATION?
In the Holy Scriptures, works is defined as the positive action that results from hearing God’s command, promise or statement. It is obeying or acting upon what God has said or told you to do (James 2:21-22). Works or obedience is required as the evidence of our salvation because faith without works is dead. A genuine Believer – a Christian, is a saved person that does works. Anyone who thinks he is a Christian but does not obey or have the desire to do so is very possibly unsaved yet.
James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. NIV
|
